What does transgender mean?

Transgender is an umbrella term that includes people who identify as:

• Transsexual; both male-tofemale (MTF) and female-to-male (FTM)
• Cross dresser
• Transgenderist: A person who lives their life in a gender different from their birth sex but does not choose to have surgical sex reassignment
• Anyone who crosses the gender lines that the society in which they live has created.

What is a transgender ally?

A transgender ally is a person who supports and encourages their transgender friends and family. Anyone can be an ally, no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity.

What is gender identity?

Gender identity is a person’s internal feelings about their gender—how masculine or feminine they feel and how it relates to the gender roles they feel comfortable in. Human gender and sexuality are often confused. A person’s gender identity is separate from their sexual orientation. A person’s sexuality does not affect their gender identity. A person’s gender identity may or may not align with their sex and/or their secondary sex characteristics. A transgender person can be heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual, just like their gender-aligned neighbors.